The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.

Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.

Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

It may not have the gloss of the two previous live action Scooby films but this one still has all the heart and fun of those two films. It will entertain families in the same way that the classic cartoon did over forty years ago.An all new cast do a fair job of playing the iconic characters and the story plods along at a pace that can be enjoyed by both parents and kids alike.There are flaws in the plot but it does come across as more than just a DVD spin and that is a testament to the cast.Overall this is funny and entertaining enough of a film for those who have enjoyed the previous live action Scooby outings.

Since the Starwars prequels, every fictional character we're familiar with is sooner or later gets the "Somebody Begins" treatment. It's Scooby's turn; he's a rejected dog at a pet adoption, and starts a brawl on a school bus. Fred, Daphne, Shaggy, and Velma all get (wrongly) blamed, thus uniting them when they have to serve detention time.This gives the Mystery Inc. gang an aura of being inept underdogs, which doesn't quite fit them; still, the opening is tied in nicely with their debut case: who is behind the haunting of a Coolsville High pep rally? A cast of relative newcomers play the intrepid crime solvers, and do pretty well. The actors playing Velma and Shaggy do the best, and show promise. Fred and Daphne were kind of bland, but better than Prinze and Geller in those roles in the big-bucks Scooby flicks. Scooby himself is animated and voiced well.Most of the original routines from the cartoon series are sent up fondly with the goofy spirit of the original. True to form, the story has both ghosts and masquerading suspects. The mystery itself is kind of obvious (few suspects, rapid exonerations), but it's all just for laughs anyway. The case doesn't really matter.Fun for kids or kids-at-heart.

To be honest I would have given this movie 5.5 out of 10, but decided it's better to grant the extra 0.5 points.Scooby-Doo was my favorite cartoon as a kid, then the movie came out and I couldn't be happier. I still love the two movies with Freddie, Sarah Michelle, Matthew and Linda.But this movie... well, this isn't as good as the first two but it's still enjoyable, if you're a real Scooby fan.The script was awful, but they managed to infiltrate almost everything that defined the Mystery Inc. The actors were all right.... Robbie Amell was charming as Fred, maybe because he looked natural for the role. I know most of you think the movie it's not worth watching because Fred's not blonde in this one, but trust me, you won't even notice that. Nick Palatas was almost as great as Matthew Lillard was as Shaggy. Hayley Kiyoko did OK as Velma, but Daphne was completely miscast. Kate Melton is terrible, with hideous non Daphne like outfits. She even looks pregnant in some scenes. I wish she did a better job.But if you get through all that, it's a pleasant movie for children.

Save your waking hours for something which might at least cause you to have a single original thought in the space of two hours, because this inane regurgitated pig swill will only ROT your brain and possibly cause you to stab out your own eyes and ears with blunt rusty scissors.See, this is why Tom Hanks' career is in decline... What with him squeezing the last rancid drops out of a movie franchise like this, (he has owned the rights since the first sequel), and choosing only to 'act' in Brookheimer crapfests like Angels and Demons...Tom, we used to love you... but for this we hate you... no more of this trash... PLEASE!